


Kaidan

by misumaru



Category: Jrock, the GazettE
Genre: Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 03:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2009874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misumaru/pseuds/misumaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mix-up at the hotel. An innocent discovery. Two tiny events in the grand scheme of things, but with very nasty consequences for poor Kai...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kaidan

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on true events. [Sort of.](https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-gazette-indonesia/translationeng-oricons-psp-ps-companys-people-1800-vol-11-feat-tomo-born-kai-the/175998102542856) I may have also possibly watched Ringu a few too many times...
> 
> Written for uruai Summer Challenge on LJ, for [this picture](http://s752.photobucket.com/user/catsuu/media/The%20Gazette/KU%20summer%20writing%20challenge/14supernatural-powers.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0%20%0A) and the following prompt: _Your theme is supernatural. Either it is in an AU environment or in present reality of Gazette, you make your pick ;) Think of powers, think of possibilities, play with ideas and with the boys! Don't shy away from including other Gazette members if you like._
> 
> Beta and handholding by the wonderful [ldybastet](http://archiveofourown.org/users/LdyBastet)! :)
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with the GazettE or PSC. This is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to real events or people is purely coincidental.

It wasn't his fault, but Kai couldn't help but feel responsible anyway. How had the hotel managed to just lose their booking? It was the last thing they needed after a long drive, and a night in the tour bus wasn't a prospect anyone wanted to face the night before a live. Not any more, anyway.

So they searched. And searched. And searched. It wasn't exactly a small town, but hotels seemed to be in short supply and all far too booked up to take their entire group, and they were almost on the point of giving up and going back to the bus when they encountered a ramshackle little inn in one of the seedier districts of the town. They nearly walked right past it, until one of the staff grabbed Kai's shoulder and gestured to the weakly lit Vacancies sign hanging out the front.

Despite the sign, Kai wasn't entirely convinced. Ruki voiced his thoughts before he could open his mouth though. "That's a hotel?"

"Apparently."

Ruki folded his arms and snorted. "I'd almost rather sleep in the bus."

"It might be nicer inside?" Kai hoped he sounded more convincing than he felt. He'd be willing to put up with almost anything if it meant they could stop walking, but Ruki had _slightly_ higher standards.

"I highly doubt it."

The argument was cut short by Uruha pushing past them and heading for the door. "Are you guys going to fight about this all night, or are we going inside? I don't know about you, but I'd quite like a bed."

Kai simply shrugged and followed Uruha in.

Sadly, Ruki skepticism was proved right - the inside wasn't much better. Everything about the building looked worn, from the bare floorboards to the few threadbare drapes hanging from the walls. Even the reception bell only managed a faint squeak as Kai hit it to try and draw some attention.

An old man stumbled out, looking nearly as decrepit as the building itself, and peered at them curiously. Kai could have understood that reaction if they were in full costume, but everyone was just in their normal clothes. Did they really get guests that rarely? 

Still, Kai put his concerns to one side and put on his brightest smile. "The sign said you had vacancies? We need enough rooms for... Well... All of this." 

The old man nodded and pulled out a dusty guest book from beneath the desk. The relief in the room was palpable, and Kai stepped aside to let Sakai deal with the particulars.

Definitely not the best, but beggars couldn't be choosers. It would be better than the tour bus, at least.

***

A quick explore showed that there wasn't much to the hotel. The guest rooms all appeared to be on the upper levels, and Kai suspected that they'd need to do some sharing to fit everyone in. That wouldn't be a problem, at least. The rest of the ground floor appeared to be given over to a small common area and a door leading out to what might have once been a garden, many years ago. All that was left now was a barren, cold-looking courtyard, the only greenery a dried-up cherry blossom tree in one corner. 

Oh, and there was a well. Right in the centre.

Something about it gave Kai the creeps; he'd seen a few too many horror movies and played a few too many games to be entirely comfortable around the damn things. This one was a very traditional example too, all cold stone and a solid wooden cover to prevent anyone from falling in. Kind of an odd thing to still have around... How long had this hotel stood here? 

As he stood lost in thought, familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around Kai's waist, Uruha pulling him close and kissing the side of his jaw. "Sakai's got everything sorted. You're sharing with me."

"No complaints here." Kai found himself relaxing into Uruha's touch as he glanced around the garden again. As he watched, a dead leaf detached itself from the tree and floated to the ground. When had it last bloomed, he wondered. "This place is pretty damn creepy."

"Funny you should say that. I did some reading up on this place, just to make sure it's an actual hotel? Seems it has some history."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! Give me a sec." One of Uruha's arms unwrapped itself from around Kai's waist and retrieved his phone from his pocket. Kai could hear Uruha muttering under his breath as he searched his history, trying to find the right page, before bringing the screen round in front of both of them. A quick glance showed it was one of those cheesy "local legends" sites, red text on a black background, intended to provoke a cheap scare. "Here we go! Used to be a brothel, about 100 years ago, had some of the usual scandals with high-ranking officials getting caught that kind of thing... Oh, here we go. Says here, one of the girls fell in love with a client. He died or broke her heart or something, and she went crazy, just laughing and clutching some present he'd given her to her chest the entire time. Scared off a lot of customers."

"I can imagine."

Uruha's thumb swiped across the screen, flicking the page up to reveal more of the story. "So, one day they either took this thing away from her or someone stole it. Whatever it was. There's really not enough information on this site. She completely snapped, and well... killed herself. Right there."

A cold shudder ran down his spine as Kai found his eyes drawn back to the well directly in front of them. "Why is it always wells?"

The arm around his waist tightened. "It's just a stupid story. Want me to stop?"

"No, it's ok. You might as well finish."

"They claim she started haunting the grounds soon after that, looking for what was taken from her. Spooked the customers, and drove the place out of business. Turned into a hotel after that, and you can guess how well that's gone."

Kai nodded. The decor hardly screamed "successful business". "Could just be because it's in a terrible location in the worst part of town though."

"See? Rational explanation! Besides, look at the site it's from. It's all bullshit anyway."

"Sounds like it'd make a good song though. You should tell Ruki."

"Maybe I will. I'll leave out the part about the well though." Uruha's face buried itself in Kai's shoulder. "It's cold. You coming inside?"

"In a sec."

There was a sudden loss of warmth as Uruha unwrapped himself, followed by the crunch of dirt as he walked away. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

Maybe he should have gone inside with Uruha. If anything, the garden seemed even less inviting now, but morbid curiosity had taken over and he just had to go take a closer look. Kai tiptoed up to the well, peering nervously at the securely fastened lid. It was hard to believe that such a horrible thing could have taken place there, but... Desperation was a terrible thing.

As he reached out to touch ancient wood, it seemed to move under his fingers. He drew his hand back to see a spider scuttle across the lid, right under where his hand had been, an ugly, fat, mottled thing that blended in with the wood far too well. The surprise startled Kai so badly he jerked backwards, tripping over his own feet and landing on his arse.

Oh, he was so lucky no-one had been around to see that. How embarrassing...

Something black was sticking out of the dirt in front of him, presumably uncovered by his little trip. Kai flinched away, thinking that it might have been another spider, but it remained resolutely still. Natural curiosity won out, and he pulled it out of the ground for a closer look. A hair comb? It was a delicate thing, he could tell that it had once been ornately patterned, but time and wear had faded its colours and sent cracks running through the paintwork. The kind of thing someone would give to their lover?

He grinned. Or maybe... Maybe this was the 'ghost's' missing treasure? It would be enough to spook Uruha anyway, he could leave it on his pillow when he was distracted and just wait for the screams. It'd make up for all the pranks pulled on Kai over the years.

Brushing himself off, Kai slipped the comb into his jeans pocket and left the garden.

***

The lobby was suspiciously empty when Kai returned, with only Reita still lingering around, flicking through a magazine. 

"Everyone else gone to bed already?"

Reita flipped a page of his magazine. "Pretty much. Aoi went out for a walk, said he needed the fresh air."

"Fresh air or a fresh drink?"

"Maybe both? Seemed spooked though, like he didn't want to stay."

Kai shook his head, amused. "Uruha must have got to him with that story first..."

That seemed to catch his interest; Reita's ears pricked up and he looked directly at Kai. "What story?"

Had Uruha really only told him? Kai wasn't sure if that made him special or just very unlucky. "You can ask him in the morning. I'm going to bed."

"Right..." Reita buried his head back in his magazine then paused, craning his neck round to call after Kai. "Hey, try and keep it down this time? My room's right next to yours."

"I make no promises!"

***

The room, once Kai finally found it, was about as basic as they came. There wasn't even a western-style bed, just a large futon rolled out on the floor. Kai vaguely wondered if it dated back to the hotel's brothel days. It'd have been cleaned since then, surely?

Still, the room was clean looking, and warm. There were definitely worse places to stay for a couple of days. Uruha certainly didn't seem to mind - he was buried deep in the room's sole cupboard, rummaging around with his arse stuck in the air. Kai chose to ignore that tempting sight for the moment and looked at their pile of luggage. 

"You think we should take the bags with us tomorrow? I know we're booked in for two nights, but I really don't trust the security in this place. A gust of wind could open that lock."

"Sure, that's fine."

Kai cocked his head to the side and watched as Uruha's arse wiggled in the air. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Investigating! Want to see what I found?" Uruha emerged from the wardrobe to reveal that he'd changed outfits into an old-fashioned kimono. He seemed delighted with the discovery, giving a little twirl as he showed off. "Isn't it great? There's only one, or I'd make you wear one too."

"It's very traditional, sure." He could hardly say he didn't approve of the way the light material clung to Uruha's body. 

"I kind of like it. Plus you can do this..." A quick tug at the tie at his waist, and the kimono fell open, sliding easily from his shoulders to reveal the bare skin underneath. 

"You feeling inspired by your little story?"

"Oh yes." As Uruha stepped forward, the kimono fell completely from his body with a rustle of silk, pooling on the floor. He licked his lips as he knelt before Kai, a graceful motion reminiscent of a geisha, before purring up at him in a sultry murmur. "And you are wearing far too much."

Instead of starting to undress Kai, Uruha yanked him down to the floor, rolling him on to his back before straddling him. 

Any other plans were soon forgotten.

***

Everyone seemed in much better spirits the following morning. Rehearsals had gone well, at least. It was a relief after the previous evening to have something go off without a hitch, no technical issues or missing equipment. Kai almost felt like he was in a genuinely good mood again.

Grabbing his water, Kai walked round the drums to rejoin the others and was greeted by the sight of Aoi shaking his head, clearly amused. "Own up, who brought a guest?"

The water bottle stopped halfway to Kai's lips. "Huh?"

"In the audience. Someone sneak a girl in?" Aoi pointed to the back of venue as he spoke. "She's gone now..."

The rest of band exchanged looks - if there had been anyone there, Aoi was the only one to have spotted them. Was he just playing a prank again?

"Wearing white? Sitting up the back? She was really hard to miss!"

"Maybe it was just one of the staff. Or you're seeing things. You haven't had much sleep, right?"

A look of annoyance flashed across Aoi's face, but he didn't push the point any further. "Yeah, maybe..."

It had to have been one of the staff, or maybe a friend of theirs. So why did Kai feel a shiver run down his spine as he looked where Aoi had been pointing?

***

Hiding in the men's room, Kai splashed water on his face. They still hadn't found Aoi's mystery girl, whoever she was. The staff seemed just as mystified as the rest of them, so either someone was lying or Aoi really had been seeing things. Maybe he was just hungover? They never did get a clear explanation from Aoi about where he'd gone the previous night.

Kai felt a tap on his shoulder. Speak of the devil... There was Aoi standing behind him, hunched over with his head down low. Was he feeling sick or something? When he spoke it was barely above a mumble. 

"Give it back."

Kai's hands patted his pockets automatically - had he picked up something of Aoi's by accident? Maybe during rehearsals? Not that he could feel anything. "Sorry, nothing here. What are you looking for?"

Aoi jerked forward, forcing Kai back against the sink, still keeping his head down low. "You have it. Give it back."

"Have what??" Every instinct in Kai's body screamed at him to back away, but it was impossible for him to go anywhere with the sink digging into his back. Hell, Kai wasn't that much taller than Aoi, but all he could see was his hair, a thick blanket of black that obscured his eyes. Why couldn't he see them? Why was he worried about what would happen if he did?

He reached out hesitantly and gripped Aoi's shoulder. "Aoi...?"

The unsettling atmosphere faded as Aoi looked up, blinking and shaking his head. "Huh? What am I...?" 

"You... Uh, you were looking for something?"

"No, I was going for a smoke." Aoi pulled out the pack of cigarettes in his pocket as if to prove to Kai that he wasn't lying. "How did I end up in here? What's wrong with me today?" 

The sink was starting to get really personal with Kai's lower back, so he shuffled forward, patting Aoi comfortingly on the shoulder as he moved. "You want to go lie down for a bit, or...?"

"It's fine. Must be more tired than I thought. Right?"

Right. 

Hopefully.

***

There was only an hour to go before the show. Time for Kai to... Not quite relax, but stop worrying about stage prep and what the staff may or may not have done and to just focus on the upcoming show. He closed his eyes and let his hands wander, tapping out a rhythm on the tabletop in front of him. So it was Agony up first, then Hyena. Or was it Filth...

His eyes snapped open at the sounds of a commotion outside, followed by the doors banging open as Reita burst through. "Can you hear that??"

Hear...? Kai wasn't sure what he meant, but... Wait - the stage announcement. There was very clearly a woman's voice giving the stage announcement, but... Kai checked the time quickly. No, there was still an hour to go, he hadn't drifted off or something.

"Someone's got confused? Let's go check it out."

Reita nodded and they both tore off, the announcer ringing in their ears the whole time. Whoever it was obviously had no intention of stopping, still monotonously repeating the same message over and over again as they arrived outside. Kai nodded at Reita, and they both silently counted to three before pulling the door wide open to confront whoever was in there.

The room was completely empty. 

And the announcement had stopped.

No-one could accuse them of imagining that, surely? Everyone would have heard the announcement, so unless there was something in the water and they were experiencing some kind of mass hallucination... Reita's eyes pretty much bulged out of their sockets as he continued to stare at the empty room in disbelief. "What the fuck is going on?"

Kai wished he knew.

***

The shower water was tepid as it hit Kai's skin, but it would have to do until they got back to the hotel. 

All the weird shit that had happened that day had left him more than a little rattled and they probably hadn't given one of their better performances, but at least the audience had seemed happy. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't relishing the prospect of another night at the hotel, either. Was it because of that stupid urban legend Uruha had told him? The day's events had just been coincidence, right? 

A creak from outside the shower made him look round. One of the other guys wanting a shower, maybe? He was sure he'd been the last in line... Not that he could see anyone else in the room through the misted glass of the stall; there was a white blur in the corner of the room that he hadn't noticed before though, maybe a towel had just fallen down? 

He turned back, tried to focus on washing his hair and ignore the sudden sense of unease building within him, even if every tiny little sound now put him on edge. He shook his head, tried to tell himself how stupid he was being, but he caught another flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. The white blur seemed closer now, and considerably less towel-like in appearance. 

Unable to tear his gaze away, Kai watched as it slowly grew larger. It was an unclean movement - a shuffling, jerking lurch that seemed to get closer with every heartbeat. Worse, as it drew towards him, it became more distinct, part of the blur separating and reaching towards him like a withered hand.

He was completely trapped. Backed into the corner of the shower without any way out expect past whatever the hell that was. Aoi's earlier words echoed in his mind as the hand clawed at the thin pane of glass separating them.

_"Give it back."_

Kai's legs buckled beneath him, elbow knocking the water off as he collapsed into a heap in the corner. The apparition faded as the stream slowed, vanishing completely as the last drip landed on Kai's head.

How long he sat there, he didn't know. He didn't dare turn the water back on, or try and leave, just in case _whatever_ that was came back. 

His unlikely saviour came in the form of Uruha, seemingly the only one to notice that he hadn't returned after what was supposed to be a quick shower. Worry was etched across his face as he rushed over to help Kai, fearing the worst.

"Shit, you ok? Are you hurt?"

Kai waved him off; touched by the concern, by wondering how the hell he was going to explain what was wrong. "No. I just... Get my clothes, please?"

As Uruha grabbed Kai's jeans, something fell from the pocket and went clattering across the floor.

"What's... A comb?" He looked up when Kai didn't respond. "Hey, Kai? Kai? You still with me?"

All Kai could do was silently stare.

 

***

The rain rolled down the side of the bus window as it drew closer to the hotel. Once he'd managed to explain what had happened, Uruha, surprisingly, hadn't immediately started laughing and calling him insane. Maybe he hadn't been as dismissive of the story as he'd originally acted, or maybe he was just trying to humour his obviously spooked lover, but he came up with a logical potential solution. 

Give the comb back, right? And they already knew where the ghost's last resting place was...

Uruha prodded Kai in the side, bringing his attention back in the bus. "So what's the plan? Get in, drop this down the well, and then get the hell out of there?"

"Pretty much..." Kai sighed, dropping his head on Uruha's shoulder. "I know we're booked in for tonight as well, but I don't want to stay."

Uruha gently squeezed Kai's hand. "We'll think of something."

His heart leapt as the bus jerked to a halt in front of the hotel. It looked pretty much the same as the previous night, but the faint light from the vacancies sign was missing. That wasn't odd, right? There wouldn't be any vacancies if they were all booked in. The fact that all the lights were off and two staff members pulling at the door couldn't get it open though? That was odd.

The staff came back and just shrugged, no idea about what next to do next. Ruki stubbed out his cigarette and looked utterly unimpressed as he questioned them. "What do you mean it's closed?"

"Doors are locked tight. Looks like it's been closed for a while."

Ruki kicked at the ground in frustration. "We are never playing this fucking town again."

Kai could hardly argue with that.

The staff started grumbling, picking up bags and putting them back in the bus. After the trouble they'd had finding a hotel before, the best thing to do would be to just leave and head to the next venue. A quick headcount showed that someone was missing though, just as Uruha appeared from around the corner. "There's a gap in the fence we should be able to squeeze through, leads right into the garden."

Aoi looked alarmed. "What the hell?? You actually want to go back in there?"

"I left something important behind. Just give me ten minutes? Please?"

The suspicious look Aoi gave them suggested he wasn't quite convinced, but he merely turned and gestured at the bus. "You know where we'll be..."

***

It really wasn't much more than a gap, and they were both pretty scratched and bruised when they emerged in the hotel grounds once again. They were just as grey and gloomy as Kai remembered them. Hell, they even felt a little colder than the street outside. 

The well stood there in the middle of the courtyard, ominously. Kai almost expected to find the lid pushed to one side, or for a hand to come shooting out as he approached, but it stayed firmly in place.

Now, how was he going to drop the damn thing down there? He didn't relish the thought of trying to remove the lid, even with Uruha's help... He cast his eyes over the wood, hoping that there wouldn't be a repeat of the spider incident that had caused all this in the first place. Luckily, there was a crack between the slats big enough to slip the comb through. Now he just had to drop it, run like hell, and hopefully everything would be ok...

"Got it?"

"Yeah." Kai pulled the chipped and faded comb from his pocket and held it over the crack, feeling like he needed to say something before giving it back. "I'm sorry. I always knew my forgetfulness would get me into trouble, but not like this..."

He paused. He wasn't sure if he was expecting some kind of response, but the air around him stayed still and silent as he took a deep breath and let go.

The comb slipped through the crack easily. Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought he could hear a faint splash as the comb hit the water.

"I hope that's enough."

Uruha's hand settled on Kai's shoulder again, turning him round and pulling him into a hug. "It's all we can do. C'mon, let's go back to the others."

There was no comment when they returned to the bus and settled into their seats in silence, other than a raised eyebrow from Aoi. Maybe he'd have to tell him the full story one day, but... Not now. 

Kai relaxed back into his seat. Turning to look back one last time, Kai thought he could see the outline of woman gradually fading in the rain as they pulled away.


End file.
